Devon green-tech helps leading construction materials business Breedon GB Materials cut aggressive driving by 80%, fleet carbon emissions by 10.9% and vehicle idling by almost a quarter

• Lightfoot’s carbon saving, real-time van driver coaching technology set to reduce Breedon’s CO₂ emissions by 1,651 tonnes over 5 years

The GB materials division of Breedon, which specialises in aggregates and downstream products including asphalt, ready-mixed concrete, and specialist building products, has succeeded in dramatically reducing instances of aggressive and inefficient driving in its fleet thanks to the installation of Exeter-based Lightfoot’s innovative green fleet tech. This has led to a 12.2% fall in fuel costs, a 10.9% drop in CO₂ emissions, and a 24% reduction in pollution caused by vehicle idling.

Following the roll-out of Lightfoot’s trail-blazing in-cab driver coaching technology and rewards platform, Breedon is now on target to reduce fleet CO₂ emissions by 1,651 tonnes over the next five years: equivalent to removing 359 passenger vehicles from the road.

In addition to cutting emissions, Lightfoot has played a key role in enhancing the safety of Breedon’s drivers. Within just one month of being fitted, instances of aggressive driving were cut by 80%, with harsh acceleration falling by 63%, severe braking by 28%, and cornering at speed by 19%.

Installed in its fleet of 380 vans, Lightfoot’s dashboard-mounted driver coaching device provides audible and visual in-cab alerts to keep Breedon’s drivers in the sweet spot of their engine.

Nigel Clamp, Head of Health and Safety at Breedon, explains: “As an organisation, we aspire to deliver society with carbon neutral concrete by 2050. We also actively support the Mineral Products Association’s ‘Roadmap to Beyond Net Zero’, which aims to remove more CO₂ from the atmosphere than the UK concrete and cement industry emits each year.

“To deliver against these ambitious goals, and to hit our own Net Zero by 2050 decarbonisation targets, we are working at every level within the business to identify measures and technology that will enable us to achieve this.

“Within our fleet, we wanted to find a solution that not only enables us to hit these goals, but which also allows us to stay true to our corporate values: creating a workplace where our people feel safe, proud, and motivated to do their best.

“That’s where Lightfoot comes in”, says Nigel. “By engaging with our drivers and giving them a reason to be smoother, safer, more mindful, and more efficient, we’re not only dramatically cutting emissions, but we’re also lowering the frequency and severity of accidents on the road. That keeps our drivers safer in their daily duties and, in doing so, contributes to lower levels of vehicle wear and tear, and costs associated with vehicle downtime.”

Nigel adds: “By routinely recognising our staff, and encouraging positive competition through Lightfoot’s leagues, our drivers are motivated day-in, day-out to be better. That enhances positive competition and driver engagement in a way that has not been possible before, and provides a win-win outcome at every level; from the individual driver through to the environment. As a result, we’ve gone from just 12% of our drivers achieving Elite Driver status during the Lightfoot blind trial period, to 100% consistently hitting that target each and every week. That’s driving big fuel savings and emissions reductions.

“But that’s not all. Lightfoot’s technology also flags engine faults, MOT and tax renewal dates, and provides battery health alerts. These ancillary services allow us to operate our fleet as efficiently as possible, and deal with issues before they become a problem. Combined with impressive driver engagement levels, Lightfoot leaves traditional telematics far behind.”

Paul Hollick, MD of Lightfoot, commented: “Breedon is focused on reducing its impact on the environment.

“That’s where our driver-first, self-managed solution comes into its own, actively encouraging and sustaining better driving through reward and recognition. With Lightfoot, Breedon’s drivers are striving to be the best that they can be every time they get in their van. The outcome is reductions in CO_2, and fuel use, and enhanced safety records on the road, delivering positive change one mile at a time.”

To find out more about how Lightfoot can transform your fleet for the better, visit www.lightfoot.co.uk